The uncertainty about the rule of law in Mexico is already a reality in the corridors of the European Parliament in Strasbourg and its reply in Brussels.
In suspense is the approval of the Global Agreement between the European Union and Mexico and, in particular, who removes the foundations of trust in the Government of President López Obrador is his energy reform proposal.
“The Mexican government has all the legitimacy to change the rules, the complicated issue is to imagine retroactivity because the rule of law does not work like that,” said Massimiliano Smeriglio, co-chair of the Mexico-European Union Parliamentary Commission in a meeting with journalists last Friday.
The day before, Smeriglio along with other MEPs met with officials from the Energy Secretariat. The meeting was “tough,” he mentioned, underlining that in other of his meetings with officials from other secretaries “there was more dialogue.”
Smeriglio MEP left no doubt in his statement. It was clear.
“For us, the issue of energy reform is a sensitive issue that we pay a lot of attention to, obviously. We respect the sovereignty of Mexico (…) what matters most to us is that whatever the Mexican government chooses to do, and in this we have no doubt, is within the rule of law and, therefore, respect for whoever it has invested in this country in these years ”, he indicated.
It seems that for President López Obrador the international mechanisms and commitments are not considered in his planning of public policies of his Government. His absences in Rome and Glasgow during the G20 and COP26 meetings, respectively, should not be overlooked, they have to be interpreted as a certain disregard for global problems as if Mexico were located on an alternative planet to Earth.
Massimiliano Smeriglio is blunt when asked if the energy reform could overturn the ratification of the Global Agreement. He denies it, he talks about the enormous thematic spectrum that was negotiated in the Global Agreement. However, passing the reform would undermine Mexico’s confidence in the European Union. Is clear.
Only one of the 27 parliaments of the member countries of the European Union is required to reject the Global Agreement for it not to be ratified.
Spain? Italy?
I reminded Massimiliano Smeriglio of the confrontation with Spain constructed by President López Obrador from the beginning of his government. Spain, Mexico’s gateway to the European Union. Proof of this is the composition of the group of MEPs who visited Mexico last week: three of the five who traveled are Spanish.
Smeriglio mentions to me that the Global Agreement has no ties to the interests of each country in the European Union, however, the Spanish Parliament does have ties to the political situation in Mexico. What would happen if the Popular Party (PP) did not approve it?
Indeed, Pedro Sánchez and his coalition government with United We Can have a majority, but there is no need to buy such an absurd lawsuit with Spain.
I asked Massimiiano Smeriglio about pro-worker biases on the part of the president of the National Human Rights Commission, Rosario Piedra. The MEP described what he heard from NGOs as “worrying”.
International commitments make President AMLO uncomfortable. He interprets them as interference to avoid them.
From Brussels they confirm that Josep Borrell had to cancel a visit to Mexico in the last hours. They couldn’t receive it.
The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy took his bags and traveled to Brazil.
Twitter: @faustopretelin
Consultant, academic, editor
Globali … what?
He was a research professor in the Department of International Studies at ITAM, published the book Referendum Twitter and was editor and contributor to various newspapers such as 24 Horas, El Universal, Milenio. He has published in magazines such as Foreign Affairs, Le Monde Diplomatique, Life & Style, Chilango and Revuelta. He is currently an editor and columnist for El Economista.
Reference-www.eleconomista.com.mx